SB68: relative to the centralized voter registration database.

SB 68 - FINAL VERSION

2019 SESSION

19-1024

11/03

SENATE BILL 68

AN ACT relative to the centralized voter registration database.

SPONSORS: Sen. Feltes, Dist 15

COMMITTEE: Election Law and Municipal Affairs

ANALYSIS

This bill allows for the limited release of certain data contained in the centralized voter registration database pursuant to court order when such release is necessary to protect the right to vote from infringement.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

19-1024

11/03

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Nineteen

AN ACT relative to the centralized voter registration database.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Elections; Voters and Checklists; Centralized Voter Registration Database. Amend RSA 654:45, VI to read as follows:

VI. The voter database shall be private and confidential and shall not be subject to RSA 91-A and RSA 654:31, nor shall it or any of the information contained therein be disclosed pursuant to a subpoena or civil litigation discovery request, except when a court of competent jurisdiction finds that limited release of data, excluding names and social security numbers, is reasonably necessary to determine whether the right to vote is being infringed upon and to protect the right to vote from such infringements, in which case it can authorize the release of such data to the extent necessary and subject to an appropriate protective order to guard against unauthorized dissemination. The secretary of state is authorized to provide voter database record data to the administrative office of the courts to assist in the preparation of master jury lists pursuant to RSA 500-A and to the clerk of the District Court of the United States for the District of New Hampshire to assist in the preparation of federal court jury lists. The voter checklist for a town or city shall be available pursuant to RSA 654:31. Any person who discloses information from the voter database in any manner not authorized by this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

VETOED July 10, 2019

Veto Sustained September 19, 2019